Raindrops
by Druidess Bodicca
Summary: SSOC James Potter's younger sister Maia left England after her brother's death.What will she do when an old flame comes back into her life, at an inconvenient time?Warnings: cursing, maybe sexuality. might not be DH compatible. rewritten.


A/N: So, this story's been floating around in my head for years now, and I'm sorry to say I have no idea where I would like it to go. I've finally realized that I'll never be happy with this story. It's been re-written, compatible with HBP, but Deathly Hallows… there might not ever be a connection here, but we'll see. And so, thus begins _Raindrops_: Take Two.

In Godric's Hollow, beneath the dark, quiet sky, a young raven-haired woman knelt in the ruins of her brother's home. They were all gone now. First her parents, now her brother and her best friend. And it was all her fault, that the green-eyed boy in her arms looked up at her an orphan. The roar of an engine overhead interrupted her self loathing.

Looking up, an enormous figure on a motorcycle drew nearer. The half giant left his flying motorcycle and approached her. "I can' believe it's really happened," Reubeus Hagrid said in his gruff voice. "Dumbledore sent me to… to get Harry." The young woman silently passed the boy to Hagrid, looking away. "If you wan' I'm sure Dumbledore'd let you take care – "

"I can't take harry. It's what _they_'d expect, and they know I'm – I'm weak already," she replied mournfully.

"No one blames you, Maia. You had no way of intendin' to, err, you didn't mean…" He trailed off, leaving what both knew unsaid.

"I blame me! How can I live with myself, knowing what I've done, knowing I killed my own brother?" she snapped. "I'm off to work at Saint Bridget's in Doublin. There's nothing left here for me," she added coldly. As she turned to leave, the giant stopped her. _"There's Harry."_

--

Maia woke drenched in a cold sweat. She had been reliving that night over and over, ever since the return of You-Know-Who. The wizarding world was in upheaval. No one felt safe. That's why she had decided to go back to England. She had to find someone from the Order. Hogwarts would be her first destination, apparating into Hogsmeade today after she finished packing. Finally accepting that she would get no more sleep, she rose and looked out her window to the fresh May air. She realized, looking at her clock, that it was past four in the morning.

_Good. Time for a shower_. Heading to the bathroom, she noticed steps in the stairwell up to her flat. Who would be up at this hour? And further more, they stopped outside her door. Whoever it was knocked quietly. Maia cautiously opened her door a crack. "Severus!" she hissed, "what the hell are you doing here?" Severes Snape stood outside her door with a young wizard in tow, who seemed vaguely familiar to Maia.

"Let me in, will you?" he responded. Opening the door so he and his charge could fit through, Maia just as quickly shut it behind them.

"What are you doing here? I haven't seen you since…" she trailed off, with full knowledge that both of them remembered that fateful night all too well.

"Matters are much different this time." He brushed her discomfort off in the cold manner she remembered. "Look, I need you to trust me"

"What about last time I trusted you? After what you've done, what right –"

"Dumbledore is dead." His voice was a whisper, barely audible.

"Fuck," she breathed. "You killed Dumbledore?!" Her voice slowly rose. "You killed Dumbledore, and you actually have the arrogance to ask for _my_ help? Why would I help you? What reason do I have?

Severus' voice was a bit louder. "To save your nephew's life."

Maia whirled around to face him, flushed with rage. "You – you'd bring Harry into this?" The young blond boy jumped to hear the name.

Severus shook his head. "Dumbledore knew about his own death. He told me to kill him, keeping my cover." Maia looked close to slapping him. "To make a long story short, I was ordered by the head of the Order to maintain my ties with the Death Eaters. Dumbledore felt that my help would be more significant to Harry's success than his own."

She snorted. "As if your life was in danger."

He looked her in the eye. "I swore an unbreakable vow to protect the Malfoy boy" he jabbed a thumb at the wizard behind him, "and to succeed were he to fail." He cupped her chin. "I admit I feel no fondness for Potter, but I would see the Dark Lord dead." Maia drew away from the door

Her blue eyes burned hat his serene ebony ones. "What would you have me do? If I were to help you, that is." Severus drew closer, and she could feel his breath on her face.

"I would have you make the truth known to the Order." His lips brushed hers, reminiscent of years long gone, except this time she hit him, hard, on his cheek. His black eyes kindled with a fire to match hers.

"I'll help you," she growled, "but it has nothing to do with what happened between us." He nodded his understanding as his eyes regained their usual cold tone. "Meanwhile, you can stay here. I'll leave a note for the landlord concerning you two.

"I, however, am taking a shower. Don't disturb me." Maia strode to the bathroom cursing softly under her breath.

--

_Maia had been younger then, when she and Severus first met. Severus recalled her long, dark hair hanging over her face as she asked to sit next to him. She had been more timid then too, something changed by the combination of her brother and her newfound friend, soon to be boyfriend…_

"Who is this woman anyway?" Severus Snape was snapped out of his reverie by Draco's impatient sneer.

"You seem awful cocky after having scarcely escaped death at the Dark Lord's hand," he mused.

Draco, ignored Snape's attempt to avoid the question. "Well? Who is she?"

"Her name is Maia Potter, if that's what you want to know." Draco made a look of disgust. "Don't judge her by what you've heard of her brother or her nephew" Severus reprimanded. "Never judge based on a name."

"If she's so different from her brother, how come I've never heard of her?" Draco asked in a haughty voice.

"She doesn't live in Britain, for starters, and most people pretend she doesn't exist" the professor responded in a bored tone.

"Well," Draco persisted, "whose side is she on?"

"No one's. That, Draco, is why we are here." Severus's voice lowered to an inaudible whisper. "She's the only one I have left to go to." Quietly regaining his composure, Severus spoke once more. "I would suggest that you rest while you can."

"I can't sleep on a sofa!"

The professor smiled smugly. "I sure hope you can sleep on the floor then."

--

Severus was startled by a set of keys hurtling towards him. He barely caught them before being hit in the face.

"I put a short note under the landlord's mailbox. Don't go anywhere; the ministry's looking for you, and the Irish ministry will probably cooperate."

Severus raised an eyebrow. "May I enquire where you are going?"

"No." She paused. "Where do you think?" They both knew; she was going to Number 12, Grimmauld Place.


End file.
